In 2022, and 2021, Karnataka reported second second-highest number of farmer suicides in the country.
Published Jul 12, 2024 | 3:00 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 12, 2024 | 3:00 PM
Drought-Representational image (iStock)
The revenue department of Karnataka released the data on farmer suicides in the last 15 months— from April 2023 to July 2024.
The numbers revealed that during the period, 1,182 farmers allegedly died by suicide, mainly due to severe drought, crop loss, and overwhelming debt. The shocking numbers are symptomatic of the challenges that ails the agriculture sector.
Among the 31 districts of Karnataka, the highest number of suicides were reported from Belagavi (122), followed by Haveri (120) and Dharwad (101).
The Revenue Department disclosed that 1,182 farmers allegedly committed suicide over the past 15 months across various districts.
Primary causes cited for suicides allegedly include severe drought, crop loss, and overwhelming debt.
District-wise data:
– Belagavi: 122
-… pic.twitter.com/kbrwFxedMt— South First (@TheSouthfirst) July 11, 2024
From April 2023 to January 2024, Karnataka lost 692 farmers to suicide according to the revenue department data. While the number is far lesser than previous years, the tragedy continues to be severe.
Farmers’ suicide in Karnataka. (Click on the image to enlarge.)
In 2022, and 2021, Karnataka reported second second-highest number of farmer suicides in the country.
In 2022, according to NCRB, Karnataka reported 2,392 reported cases, preceded by neighbouring Maharastra with 4,248 reported cases.
Karnataka was followed by Andhra Pradesh (917), Tamil Nadu (728), and Madhya Pradesh (641).
While according to the 2021 NCRB report, Karnataka reported 2,169 farmer suicides, once again preceded by Maharastra with 4,064 reported cases.
In 2021 Andhra Pradesh reported 1065 suicides, Madhya Pradesh reported 671 suicides, and Tamil Nadu reported 599 suicides.
While there was a slight increase in the number of unfortunate deaths from 2021 to 2022, 2023 saw a significant decrease in suicides.
While the severe drought that Karnataka went through is considered the main reason, overwhelming debts and crop loss are also among the major reasons.
In October 2023, the Siddaramaiah government announced that 216 taluks — out of the total of 236 taluks in the state — have been declared as drought-affected, which includes 189 severely drought-hit and 27 moderately drought-hit taluks.
While the government had provided drought relief, mounting debts, and crop loss due to uncertain weather conditions have crippled the farmers.
In a recently convened meeting with district officials, Siddaramaiah stressed that delays in providing relief in farmer suicide cases would not be tolerated. He had expressed his displeasure over the delay in compensation during the last meeting.
The chief minister urged the deputy commissioners to act liberally and provide compensation without rejecting applications for minor technical reasons. He stressed the importance of supporting affected families promptly.
Out of 1,003 eligible cases, 994 families have already been provided compensation.
The chief minister also directed that a farmers’ meeting be held to create awareness and build confidence among the farming community.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula, with inputs from Nolan Patrick Pinto)
